Impact fire extinguisher



Nov. 3, 1959 CROUCH 2,911,049

' IMPACT FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Aug. 7, 1958 @egrje ell. drouoh United States Patent IMPACT FIRE EXTINGUISHER George A. Crouch, St. Ansgar, Iowa Application August 7, 1958, Serial No. 753,769

4 Claims. (Cl. 169-26) My invention relates to fire extinguishers and more particularly to a fire extinguisher which will release its fire extinguishing contents whenever it has been subjected to an impact of predetermined size.

Fires which result from accidents of automotive vehicles claim many lives and cause untold property damage each year. Most of these fires result from the ignition of the fuel carried by the vehicle and fuel tanks and carburetors are the common origins of most such fires.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguishing means which will be activated whenever the vehicle to which it is attached has been subjected to at least a predetermined impact force.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguishing means that can be activated regardless of the direction from whence the impact is delivered.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguishing means that can be easily restored to usefulness after having been activated.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguishing means that can be adjusted to activate at different degrees of impact.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguishing means that is economical of manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device shown mounted on the fire wall adjacent an automobile engine;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of my device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of my device taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of my device taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

I have used the numeral to generally designate an automobile which has a conventional fire wall 12 and internal combustion engine 14. Two spaced apart, substantially rectangular, horizontal plates 16 and 18 each have a vertical flange 20 and 22, respectively. Plates 16 and 18 can have slight resilient characteristics. Plates 16 and 18 can be attached to fire wall 12 in any convenient manner such as by screws 24 which pass through appropriate holes in flanges 20 and 22 into the fire wall.

Four vertical rods, 26, 28, 30 and 32 span the distance between plates 16 and 18 and loosely extend slightly therethrough to threadably receive nut members 34 on their upper and lower ends. A breakable container 36, which is preferably of glass material rests on the top of plate 18. Container 36 is preferably of cylindrical shape and should have a diameter less than that of a circle 2,911,049 Patented Nov. 3, 1959 passing through the vertical rods 26, 28, 30 and 32. The relative positions of container 36 and rods 26, 28, 30 and 32 are clearly shown in Fig. 3. The heighth of container 36 is just slightly less than that of the vertical distance between the plates 16 and 18.

The top of container 36 is threaded to receive lid 38. A sealing gasket 40 is preferably mounted in between the lid 38 and the top of container 36. A vertical spring steel rod 42 of predetermined strength is welded or otherwise secured by its upper end to the center of lid 38 and extends downwardly therefrom into container 36. Rod 42 is round in cross section. The lower end of rod 42 terminates above the bottom of container 36 and breaker member 44 is attached thereto. A suitable fire extinguishing fluid 46 can be placed in container 36 and fluid 46 can be under pressure within the container if so desired.

The normal operation of my device is as follows: The plates 16 and 18 can be mounted in parallel fashion on fire wall 12, or on another convenient member, by utilizing screws 24 in normal fashion. Container 36 can then be filled with a suitable fire extinguishing fluid and lid 38 can be mounted on the top thereof after submerging rod 42 and breaker member 44 into the fluid 46. Vertical rods 26, 28, 30 and 32 can then be placed within the corresponding holes in plates 16 and 18. Nut members 34 can then be placed on the threaded ends of rods 26, 28, 30 and 32 to slightly draw plates 16 and 18 together to clamp container 36 therebetween. The container 36 should not touch any of the rods 26, 28, 30 and 32. I

' Spring rod 42 is of predetermined strength and will not deflect to a great extent upon the introduction of impacts which are normal in the operation of an automobile. However, spring rod 42 will be adapted to substantially deflect upon receiving an impact which results from a given dangerous force acting upon the vehicle. As shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, the breaker member 44 engages the breakable walls of the container upon such an impact, and shatters the container to effect the release of fluid 46.

Since rod 42 is in the center of container 36 it can move equally well in any direction to effect the breaking of the container, so that the direction from whence the impact force comes is not critical to the successful operation of my device. The vertical rods 26, 28, 30 and 32 are spaced apart from the container 36 so as not to reinforce the container against breaking. Since rod 42 is round, it can deflect equally well in any direction.

-If container 36 is broken, it can be easily replaced by merely detaching lid 38 and inserting a new container. If a subsequent container should be of heavier, more durable material, the nuts 34 on rods 26, 28, 30 and 32 can be tightened to place the container walls in compression so that a smaller impact by breaker member 44 can accomplish the breaking thereof.

From the foregoing, it is seen that my invention will accomplish at least all of its stated objectives.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my impact fire extinguisher without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an impact fire extinguisher, a vertical breakable container, a fire extinguishing fluid in said container, a spring-like member vertically suspended inside of said container and operatively secured thereto, said springlike member being capable of lateral deflection in any direction, and a breaker means on said spring-like member capable of breaking said container when said container is subjected to an impact of predetermined magnitude from any lateral direction; said breaker means being positioned normally in spaced relation to the interior surface of said container.

2. In an impact fire extinguisher, a vertical breakable container, a fire extinguishing fluid in said container, a spring-like member vertically suspended inside of said container and operatively secured thereto, said spring-like member being capable of lateral deflection in any direction, a breaker means on said spring-like member capable of breaking said container when said container is subjected to an impact of predetermined magnitude from any lateral direction; said breaker means being positioned normally in spaced relation to the interior surface of said container, and means on said container for selectively exerting compressive forces thereon.

3. In an impact fire extinguisher, a pair of parallel plate members, a plurality of rods adjustably extending between said parallel plate members, a vertical breakable container extending between said plate members, a tire extinguishing fluid in said container, a spring-like member vertically suspended inside said container and operatively secured thereto, said spring-like member being capable of lateral deflection in any direction, and a breaker means on said spring-like member capable of breaking said container when said container is subjected to an im- 4 pact of predetermined magnitude from any lateral direction; said breaker means being positioned normally in spaced relation to the interior surface of said container. 4. In an impact fire extinguisher, a vertical breakable container, a fire extinguishing fluid in said container, a spring steel rod vertically suspended on the center axis of said container and operatively secured thereto, said spring steel rod being capable of lateral deflection in any direction, and a breaker means on said spring steel rod capable of breaking said container when said container is subjected to an impact of predetermined magnitude from any lateral direction; said breaker means being positioned normally in spaced relation to the interior surface of said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 392,671 Galbraith Nov. 13, 1888 1,903,348 Anderson Apr. 4, 1933 1,925,242 Gabbetis Sept. 5, 1933 1,982,653 Forman Dec. 4, 1934 2,747,674 Hodges May 29, 1956 

